Threats More Subtle Than Swords, Part 3

In the afternoon, Guy finally caught sight of Allan again, and strode over to where his man was coming in through the gate.

"The physician's coming, Sir Guy," Allan said as he approached.

Guy made a show of looking around the castle courtyard and appearing surprised that no physician was in sight. "Where?"

"Well, he's got some other patients, but he said he'll be along as soon as he can."

Guy grabbed him by the front of his tunic, causing Allan to flinch, and pulled the man's face up to his. "You bring that physician here now!"

A thought occurred to him, and he pulled a purse from his belt. "Give him this, and if he still doesn't come immediately, tell him I'll cut off his ear!"

"Yes, Sir Guy," Allan panted, pulling himself out of Guy's grip and reaching for the purse. Another look at Guy convinced him to start running.

Guy strode up the steps and stopped at the top to incline his head towards Laurencia, who had just come out. She froze, staring up at him with her cheeks turning red, but when she didn't speak, Guy went on to Marian's room.

Marian wasn't in her bed when he opened the door, and for a moment, his heart stopped. Then he heard a cough from the privy, and felt a wave of cold sweat wash over him as Marian appeared, coming around the corner with one hand on the wall. Guy rushed forwards to help her, laying his arm over her shoulders and guiding her back to bed. He could feel the heat of her body through his jacket, along with her shivers.

"Allan's gone to get the physician," he said, tucking the covers around her and smoothing her hair away from her face. "You'll feel better soon."

"I'll hold your hand," Guy offered, but though Marian's hand was hot, his heart felt chilled at her words. He'd never met Marian's mother; the woman had died long before, and Marian must be extremely ill to be thinking of her now.

Guy was still holding Marian's hand when there was a light knock on the door and it opened to admit Allan, and behind him, the physician.

"You took your time," Guy snarled, standing up from the bed.

"My lord, other people are sick, too," the physician replied, but Guy wasn't interested. Pointing one threatening finger at the man, he ordered, "You cure her."

One of the page boys appeared in the open doorway. "Sir Guy? The Sheriff wants to see you in his chamber."

"You cure her," Guy repeated, then lowered his hand and strolled out.

When he reached the Sheriff's chamber, the Sheriff was just sealing a folded letter. "I want you to give this to your fastest messenger."

"Who's it for?" Guy asked.

"The abbey at Leicester. I'm offering to double Laurencia's dowry."

Guy raised one eyebrow in surprise, and the Sheriff shook his head.

"A clue? No. The Earl of Durham. It seems we may have a way of securing his allegiance to us after all."

xxxxx

That evening, instead of watching over Lady Marian, Guy was forced to attend the banquet that the Sheriff, in turn, had been forced to offer Lady Prospera and her daughter.

"So tell me about this man you married," the Sheriff said. "Is he loyal to our king?"

"The Earl was loyal," Lady Prospera said with a smile. "He's dead now."

"And now you're both taking holy orders, the grieving widow and her bastard daughter?" the Sheriff asked. He sounded hopeful.

"Your bastard, Vasey," Lady Prospera corrected him. "And no, I won't be taking orders. My lord's son by his first marriage has inherited the earldom of Doncaster, but he's still young enough to need a firm guiding hand. As soon as I see Laurencia settled, I intend to return and do that guiding."

Guy felt a moment of sympathy for the young earl, which he immediately squashed.

"And you haven't had any offers of marriage for her?" the Sheriff asked.

"None," Lady Prospera admitted. "I daresay it has something to do with her very small dowry. I had hoped that Ranulf would allow a greater sum, but there were the children from his first marriage, and other expenses."

She let her voice trail off, then added, "And as for looks, well. You can see that she takes after her father."

Laurencia kept her face composed at the veiled insult. Perhaps, Guy found himself thinking, she was used to such statements. He himself could certainly ignore similar jabs from the Sheriff.

"A very small dowry? Are you sure the abbey will have her?" the Sheriff asked. "They don't take just anybody, you know. Not without the right," he paused dramatically, "recommendations."

"I know," Lady Prospera said. "But let's speak of other things. Tell us more about this Robin Hood, for instance."

"Oh, I don't think he'd take her off your hands," the Sheriff said blithely, and Lady Prospera frowned.

"I meant, tell us how he's been taxing," it was Lady Prospera's turn to pause dramatically, "your patience."

Guy sighed. Once the Sheriff started reciting all of Hood's misdeeds, it would be a long evening. And to add injury to insult, he'd no doubt put his own twist on each tale, making Guy look like an incompetent so that he himself could shine all the more brightly. Frowning, Guy signaled a servant for more wine.

xxxxx

It was, as Guy had expected, very late when the banquet finally came to an end and the Sheriff and the ladies went off to bed. Guy didn't bother going to the stables for his horse; it was too late to ride back to Locksley, and he wanted to look in on Marian anyway. Outside Marian's door, he saw Allan sitting there, leaning back against the wall and clearly asleep. Guy woke him with a kick, then demanded, "What did the physician say?"

"He put ten leeches on her arm," Allan said, scrambling to his feet. Guy opened the door and went in, and Allan followed behind. "She went hysterical at the first one, screaming for you and for her father, saying you wouldn't allow it, that sort of thing. Then she had a really bad fit of coughing and –"

"And what?"

"I think she fainted."

Feeling a twinge in his heart that he hadn't kept his promise, Guy looked down at the bed. Marian was half sitting up, bolstered by pillows, but her head lolled to one side. He could hear her breathing, a harsh whistling sound. Her left arm lay on top of the covers, the sleeve pulled up to expose the flesh, and he could see ten little red marks between her wrist and her elbow. Grimacing, Guy lifted her arm and pulled the sleeve down, then tucked it under the covers. Her skin was painfully hot to his touch, and she did not stir.

"The physician said if she's not better to-morrow, he'll leech her again," Allan said.

"Isn't there another physician?" Guy asked, trying hard to keep from feeling the dread that was threatening to take hold in his heart. "Or a wise woman?"

Allan frowned. "Not since Matilda disappeared, no."

Guy wanted to punch something, but wasn't willing to risk his fist against stone or the hard wood of the bedposts. He twitched in Allan's direction, and the man hastily added, "There is Djaq, though."

"Jack?" Guy asked. "Who's Jack?"

"Djaq," Allan corrected him. "And she's a Saracen."

"Robin's pet Saracen," Guy realized.

"Yeah. Anyway, she knows about herbs and leaves and stuff. She practically brought M—somebody back from the dead last year. The only problem is, we can't just walk up to the camp and ask her."

"We'll have to take her," Guy said. "You know where we can find her -- alone?"

"If we don't want Djaq to get caught before she can help Marian, we shouldn't bring her to the castle."

It took Guy a moment to realize what Allan was talking about. "My house," he said. "We'll take Marian to Locksley and bring Djaq there."

He pushed his arm between Marian's back and the pillows and pulled her upright. "Get a wagon ready, something Marian can lie down in. No servants, just you."

"What, now?"

"Yes, now!" Guy snapped. Allan ran out, and Guy wrapped the bedcovers around Marian, then lifted her up. She stirred and coughed, and he turned his head away as he carried her out of the room.

The castle and the outside courtyard were so quiet that the noise of the horses and wagon seemed thunderously loud in comparison. Guy glanced up once to the Sheriff's window, but it remained dark. There was only a scrabbling from the stables as one of the lads peeked out to see what was going on, but Guy didn't worry about him. The servants who worked in the castle had long since learned to ignore everything except orders specifically directed at them.

Allan finished hitching up the horses, then brought the team forward to where Guy stood. It was a haywagon, almost full, perfect for cushioning Marian through the journey. But with the straw piled high, Guy was left with the option of either finding something to step up on, or tossing Marian into the straw and then clambering up himself to settle her. He gave Allan a nudge with his boot. "Kneel down."

Allan gaped at him for a moment in astonishment, then went down slowly onto his hands and knees. Guy used his back as a mounting block and laid Marian carefully down in the wagon bed, tucking in the blankets and covering her with handfuls of straw.

"Guy," Allan grunted. "Hurry up!"

Guy turned hard on his bootheel before stepping off again, and was gratified to hear Allan's groan of pain.

While Guy got up on the driver's seat of the haywagon and picked up the reins, Allan spoke to the stableboy who'd been watching them. The boy scrambled to open the gate and would presumably shut it again behind them. Then Allan took one of the torches and walked ahead of the horses to light the road. It was slow going and in Guy's mind, it took half the night to get to Locksley.

At last, however, they came up to the house that Guy had been given, the one that had belonged to Robin, the Earl of Huntingdon, until he'd been outlawed and had turned into Robin Hood. Usually, it filled Guy with a grim sense of satisfaction to come home and see the building that was now his and no longer Robin's, but this time, he didn't bother to notice. He simply swept indoors with Marian in his arms and went up the stairs to the bedroom. Gunilda, one of his female servants, was sleeping on a pallet at the foot of his bed, to be ready in case he needed anything, and woke up as he came in.

"Pull back the covers," Guy ordered, and the girl staggered sleepily to her feet.

"Who is that, m'lord?" Gunilda asked as she hauled the heavy covers down to the end of the bed.

"Lady Marian," Guy said, setting her down. Marian immediately began coughing, and Guy raised his voice to speak over her. "Bring up a brazier and get some heat in here!"

"M'lord." Gunilda dashed downstairs and returned quickly with a metal pan full of coals. When she'd finished adjusting it, she came over to where Guy was tucking an extra pillow behind Marian's back so that she could sit up somewhat, and stood there, twisting her hands.

"What?" Guy snarled.

"M'lord, should I boil some water?"

"Yes, do that," Guy said, although he couldn't think what it might be good for. Gunilda left the bedroom and returned a few minutes later with a pot of water, which she settled on top of the brazier. Guy's cook followed more slowly with a pottery bowl in one hand, which she showed to Guy. There were dried flowers in there which might have once been yellow. "Coltsfoot, my lord. Put this in the water, and the steam will help Lady Marian breathe."

Guy grunted approval. "You take care of her, both of you, until we get back."